May 2016: Melbourne-based Australian publisher eBook Dynasty recently established collaboration with Taiwan’s HyWeb Technology Co., Ltd. and China’s Douban Read to promote English authors to the Chinese World.

Based on the deal, eBook Dynasty, HyWeb Technology and Douban Read will promote 40 titles written by 34 English authors in 2016. These authors are from Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, and Kazakhstan. Their books fall in six categories – fiction, non-fiction, humanity & popular science, lifestyle, family, and professional development.

Launched in June 2012 as an imprint of Australia’s Solid Software Pty Ltd, eBook Dynasty assists all established and emerging English authors, literary agents and publishers to translate, publish and promote their titles as Chinese digital and print books. Its long-term goal: To help the best literary voices reach across all linguistic and cultural boundaries. In December 2015, eBook Dynasty received Victoria’s Multicultural Awards for Excellence – Victorian Multicultural Marketing Award, which recognises “a business that uses a multilingual workforce and innovative marketing and communication strategies to engage multicultural audiences and who use their brand or reputation to promote the benefits of cultural diversity”.

The first six books to be promoted by HyWeb’s HyRead platform in May 2016 are:

The Chinawoman by Australian author Ken Oldis

Secrets of Travel Writing by Australian author Claire Scobie

Rebel Girl by Australian author Ann Clancy

Footsteps in an Empty Room by Australian author Kaye Dobbie

Made in China by U.S. author Mark Reutlinger

Poppy Darke and the Cauldron of Fear by U.K. author Colin Wraight

Based in Hsinchu City, Taiwan, HyWeb Technology Co., Ltd. established HyRead in 2010 as a professional ebook platform for libraries. Since then HyRead has helped more than 500 patrons in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and the United States to develop quality digital content that is distributed to more than 700 libraries across the Chinese World, mainly in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The platform is recognised by Taiwan’s central and regional governments, educational institutions, and public and private schools, and won the Ministry of Culture’s “Golden Tripod Award” for the Best Innovative Business Model in 2013.

Meanwhile, China’s Douban Read is also gearing up to promote these 34 English authors. Launched in January 2012, Douban Read is an integral part of Douban, a Chinese SNS website that allows registered users to create and exchange content relating to books, movies and music but is also open to unregistered users. Currently owned by Beijing Ark reading Technology Co., Ltd., Douban Read encourages digital writing, publishing and reading, promotes independently and traditionally published ebooks, and supports reading via Web, iPhone, iPad and Android. As of the end of 2014, Douban had about 60 million registered users and 80 million active users per month.

Through this ground-breaking collaboration between Australia’s eBook Dynasty, Taiwan’s HyWeb Technology and China’s Douban Read, it is hoped that in the near future, more original, fresh, diverse and quality content by English authors, literary agents and publishers could be promoted to the Chinese World.